The present invention relates to the production of titanium disulfide and more particularly to the production of titanium disulfide by the direct reaction of metallic titanium and elemental sulfur.
Titanium disulfide has a layered structure with each layer comprising titanium atoms sandwiched between sulfur atoms and the separate layers being bound together by van der Waal forces. The layered structure of titanium disulfide imparts unique properties to the compound. For example, Lewis bases can be intercalated and deintercalated from the titanium disulfide structure. The intercalated titanium disulfide can be used in numerous applications, including use as a lubricant. The unintercalated titanium disulfide can be used as a cathode-active material in electrochemical cells. Because titanium disulfide can be intercalated and deintercalated, the cathode-active material can be used in secondary cells. To be useful as a cathode-active material, titanium disulfide should possess a number of properties. Titanium disulfide should have a high surface area, i.e. a fine particle size, to provide ready access of the electrolyte. Not only should the titanium disulfide have a fine particle size, but there should be a small variation in particle size so that a cathode structure with a controlled porosity can be prepared. Chemically the titanium disulfide should be stoichiometric, i.e. TiS.sub.2, in order to insure rapid intercalation and deintercalation. Also, the titanium disulfide should have a low impurity content to minimize interference of the contaminants with electrochemical properties of titanium disulfide. In addition to the preceding required physical properties, the titanium disulfide should be capable of being prepared by an economic process capable of being expanded to an industrial scale.